Internal combustion engine



y 1934. 1.. E. LA BRIE 1,957,655

INTERNAL COIBUSTION ENGINE Filed lay 2. 1931 2 Sheets-=Sheet 1 5 17 F/G.I 12 1] INVENTOR. Luna's-P L". LA BP/E BY w M F76- 5 I ATTORNEY May 8,1934. L. E. LA BRIE INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGIP IE Filed May 2. 1931 '2She ets-Sheet 2' FIG. 3

INVENTOR. 1. UDGEP 5. LA BP/E ATTORNEY Fetented 3, i934 ETE STATSKN'EERNAL COMJBUSWUN ENGINE lludger lE. La Brie, South Bend, Ind,assignor to Bendix Aviation Corporation, South Bend, llnd, a corporationoi Delaware Application May 2, reel, Serial No. 534,541

6 (or. RSV-'79) This invention relates to internal combustion enginesand more particularly to valve mecha-- nisms therefor.

An object of the invention is to provide a valve mechanism for aninternal combustion engine that will permit the engine to operate with avolumetric eficiency.

Another object or" the invention is to provide valve mechanism that isquietin operation and has a rapid opening movement.

Another object of the invention is to provide a valve mechanism in whicha rapid rate of opening is secured without imposing a high rate or"acceleration to the valve parts.

Another object or" the invention is to project valve parts into thecylinder during the intake period and direct the gas into the enginecylinder at a substantial distance from the end wall of the cylinder. Itis the desideratum of valve mechanisms for internal combustion enginesthat they be quiet in operationand have a high rate of opening speed.These two qualifications are somewhat antagonistic in their attaimnent,and the rate of valve opening is usually selected as-a compromise withthe noise characte istics. It is desirable to have a rapid opening, forotherwise the average opening is so srnall respect to the maximumopening that it may be necessary increase the size or lift obtainsatisfactory engine results.

With the above objects and dificulties-in mind, the presentinventionpreferably comprises a pair relatively movablevalve partsarranged to be individually operated in timed relation.

A feature of the invention relates to the mount ing of a poppet valvewithina reciprocating valve sleeve having communication with the engineintake ports and operating means that actuates the valve and sleeveconcu rently tor a short period, then separates them by oppositemovescents, and finally closes" the valve with both sleeve and valvemoving in the same direction.

A better understanding of the invention may be obtained by referring tothe accompanying Figure is a diagrammatic view of the movement of anintake valve' which is operated by my improved valve mechanism;

Figure 6 is a diagrammatic view illustrating the movement of my improvedvalve mechanism as applied to the exhaust valve of an internal Sleeve 17is provided with a valve seat on its 3 outer end and is slidably mountedin head 11 and is normally urged upwardly against shoulder 17' by aspring 20 which coacts between nut 19 and shoulder 21, the sleeve beingrestrained against rotary movement by split washer 22,

which is pinned or otherwise secured to the head and has inwardlyprojecting tongues extending through the slots 24, formed in sleeve 17.Poppet valve 18 is slidably mounted in a guide member 26, secured withinsleeve 17 and is urged upwardly into seating contact with the outer orseating end of sleeve 17 by a spring 27 which coacts between washer 28and the shouldered portion 29 of the guide. Both sleeve 17 and valve 18are actuated by a cam shaft 31 having cams 32 and 33, each of whichoperates respectively, rocker arms 34 and 36, which contact respectivelywith the sleeve and valve through adlusting screws 37 and 38. Gem shaft31 is driven through any desired operating means (not shown): in timedrelation with the engine, and rocker arms 34 and 36 are pivotallysupported at 39 upon the head 11. The operating mechanism shown may bealso used with an exhaust -.valve, the operation of which is understoodby .is rotated in a clockwise direction and both valve and sleeve arereciprocated downwardly from pointA to point B in Figure 5, theopeningslope of the cams being preferably identical in form, although careshould be taken to see that adjusting screw 38 is so positioned as toallow a slight clearance between the screw and valve stem 41 to insureseating of the valve upon the sleeve 17 during the movement from A to B.

From point B to point C, sleeve 17 is moved up-' wardly by spring 20 andvalve 18 continues its downward movement to point C, whereat it startsits upward movement, and both valve and the seat on the sleeve areclosed simultaneously at point D. It may be seen that due to theopposite movements of the sleeve and valve from point B to C, the rateof opening movement is very rapid and enables the gas to enter thecylinder with less resistance than is imposed by the ordinary valvemechanism, thus insuring a high volumetric eiilciency. The same rate ofopening as is obtained by my improved valve mechanism may possibly besecured by the conventional valve and operating cam, but the slope ofthe cam surface in' the conventional construction would have to bedesigned much steeper than the one that I am able to use with thepresent mechanism, and the result would be a very noisy valve mechanism,such as is used in racing cars.

In the diagrammatic view illustrated in Figure 5, I have shown themovement of the valve during one revolution of the engine, whichincludes the intake cycle. The cross-hatched portion from A to B of theouter circle, represents movement of the parts corresponding to themovement of cam shaft 31 in Figure 1, during which both valve and sleeveare moving downwardly. The solid portion of the outer circle from B to Drepresents the angular movement during which valve 18 is separated fromthe seat on the sleeve 1'7 and corresponds to the conventional inletdiagram. Valve 18 starts to close at point C and both valve and the seaton the sleeve close simultaneously at point D. The cross-hatched portionof the inner circle from B to C represents the time during which valveand sleeve are moving in opposite directions and the solid portion fromC to D' represents slow movement of the sleeve during the last portionof its travel toward its closed position.

In the diagrammatic showing of Figure 6, I have illustrated the movementof the sleeve and valve as applied to the exhaust valve of an engine andthe'corresponding portions of the figures are analogous to the inletdiagram shown in Figure 5. a

In the forms shown in Figures 3 and 4, I have eliminated the rocker armconstruction and have shown an overhead cam shaft 51 having cams 52 and53'.- Cam 53 bears on the sleeve 17 through the medium of a rocker arm55, pivotally mounted on the head at 56, andcam 52 bears directly onthrust collar 5'7 secured to the outer end of valve 18. A guide screw 59has an extension 60 projecting through slot 61 in sleeve 17 forpreventing rotation of the sleeve and misalignment of port 63 with themanifold 64.'

In each of the constructions shown, sleeve 17 seats against a shoulderedmember 11 forming a pocket wherein gases or lubricant may collect tocushion the fitting of the sleeve, but if :desired, a venting slot 6'lmay be provided for permitting gases or lubricant to be forced out ofthe pocket and'into the intake manifold.

It may be noted from the above description that I have provided a valvemechanism having a very rapid opening and a cam slope that will notunduly accelerate the parts, and in which the seating of the valve uponthe sleeve occurs while both sleeve and valve are moving in the samedirection at different rates of speed, thereby insuring quiet operationof the valve with a high rate of opening speed.

While I have illustrated and described certain embodiments of myinvention, it is understood that this showing and description areillustrative only, and that I do not regard the invention as limited tothe forms shown and described, I

or otherwise, except by the terms of the following claims.

I claim:

1. In an internal combustion engine, a valve mechanism comprising, asleeve having a valve seat on its outer end, a poppet valve coaxialtherewith, means to move the sleeve and valve concurrently for aportion'of the valve travel, means to separate the valve and sleevevalve seat, and means to return the valve and sleeve concurrently totheir inoperative positions.

2. In an internal combustion engine, a valve mechanism comprising, asleeve having a valve seat on its outer end, a poppet valve coaxialtherewith, means to move the sleeve and valve concurrently for a portionof the valve travel, means to simultaneously move the valve and sleevein opposite directions, means to return the valve and sleeveconcurrently to their inoperative positions, and a stop for limiting thereturn movement of the sleeve.

3. In an internal combustion engine, a valve mechanism comprising, aspring loaded sleeve having a valve seat on its outer end, a springloaded valve coaxial therewith, andseparate cam means for actuating saidsleeve with valve seat and valve to open the valve by moving the sleeveoppositely to the valve.

4. In an internal combustion engine, a valve mechanism comprising, aspring loaded sleeve with valve seat, a spring loaded valve coaxialtherewith, and separate cam means for actuating said sleeve and valveseat and valve to close the valve while the sleeve is moving in the samedirection as the valve.

5. In an internal combustion engine, a valve mechanism comprising tworeciprocating members coacting to form a valve closure, means forseparating said members during their movement, and said means beingarranged to move said members in oppositedirections during theseparation period.

6. In an internal combustion engine, a valve mechanism comprising, asleeve having a valve seat on its outer end and a coaxial poppet valve,means for separating said sleeve valve seat and valve during theirmovement, and said means being arranged to move said sleeve and valve inopposite directions during .the separation period.

LUDGER. E. LA BRIE.

